Wheel assembly



1,573,671 L. BLAcKMoRE Er An.

WHEEL ASSEHBLY Filed Jan. 9. 1922 msmmw Patented Feb. .16, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,573,671 PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD BLACKMORE AND LOUIS H. SPENCER, F HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN, AB-

SIGNORS T0 GENERAL MOTORS CORP IVEORATION' 0F DEI AWARE.

OBATION, 0F DETROIT, HICHIGAN, A COR- WHEEL nssEMBLY.-

Application led January 9, 1922. Serial No. 587,879.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that we, LLOYD BLACKMORE and Lotus M. SPENCER, citizens ofthe modified form.

United States, and resid/ents of Highland Park, county of Wayne, andState of Miclngan, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements inWheel Assemblies, of

kwhich the following is a full, clear, concise,v

and exact' description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich 'the'invention relates to make and use the same, reference beingmade therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a partof thisspecification.

lThis invention relates to wheels for au tomobiles and other veh'cles. y

One of the objects ofheinvention is the provision of new and im rovedmeans associated with a Wheel fel y for securing a demountable rim inposition thereon, together with other new and improved c coperatingfeatures, whereby when the rim is in operative position on the Wheel itis irml held. ini-such position during the trave of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedrim bolt'that is cheap to manufacture; easily applied;

' that is durable and efficient in operation;

and one that when once pro erly attached to the felly will not accidentaly become detached therefrom.

Figure 6 is a transverse section of a ortion of a wheel 'showing afurther modlfied form or arrangement of the devlce, and

Figure 7 is a section of a still further Formerly, fellies forautomobile l wheels were constructed of wood, but owing t the scarcityof the proper kind of was)Y required for this construction, it hasbecome more and more necessary in recent years to substitute metal forwood in the construction of fellies as well as in the construction ofother articles of various kinds. This is especially true of automobileparts that are subjected to severe strains for the reason that woodsuitable for the purpose can hardly be obtained.

The felly, if made of metal, is usually channel sha e in cross-sectionand the employment o a demountable rim on such a construction presentscertain dilicultiesnot present in the wooden fellies formerly employed.The flanges of the felly extend radially outwardly and for this reasonspecially constructed seats must be provided for the wedges and theseseats must be so arranged that they will afford lirm support fior thewedges Moreover, the wedge bolts in such a construction must be so madethat they will not turn in the felly; will be prevented from becomingaccidentally disengaged; and will not clamp the flanges toward eachother when the nuts are applied. An embodiment of an invention foraccomplishing the above is clearly illustrated on the accompanyingdrawings in whicfh the numeral 10 designates a wheel having the hub 11,spokes v12, and the felly 13 secured to the outer end of said spokes.

The felly 13 is of metal and consists of the base portion 14 and theradially outwardly extending flanges 15 and 16. The

flange 15 has its peripheral edge 17 bent.

laterally and radially outwardly to form an incline or cone-shaped seaton which one edge of the rim 18, is adapted to engage. The flange 16 isprovided at intervals with distorted portions-to form supports or seatsfor the wedges. These distorted portions may be formed in any suitablemanner.

These distorted portion formin the flanges or wedge seats 19 may beforme by makingparallel radial cuts'20 and 21 in the flange 16 andbending the portion 19 between t slots laterally as shown in Figures 2and `3, or they may be formed by bending portions 19a o f the flange 16inwardly withoutl cutting or slotting the same, as is shown in Figures 4and 5L This latter structure provides a wide bearing-surface and a'firmsu port for the wedge without appreciab y' Wklllg the felly. With thisarrangethe bconnecting portions 20 and 21 reinforce the seats 19 at eachend thereof.

Rim wedges 22 are employed for securing rthe rim 18 in position on thefelly. Eac

bolt 25 is provided with a suitable retaining Wedge consists of a noseportion 23 which is adapted `to engage the seat 19 and a fulcrum o rheel portion 24 -which is adapted to fulcrum on the -inner edge `of theside flange 16 (see Figure 2). Bolts 25 having nuts 26 areprovided forforcing the Wedges 22'inwardl between the felly and rim for securing t elatter inx position thereon. These bolts are adapted to engage circularapertures 27 and 28 in the flanges 13 and 16, respectively.V LTheaperture or opening 28 has its upper'edge in ali ment with the loweredge of the inturne flange or seat 19 in order to rovide sufficientspace on the flange for the engagement of the fulcrum 24 o f the wedge,and in order that said flange or seat` may rest on the boltv 25 andafford a firm support for the nose 23 of the wedge when the wedge -isforced home between the rim and the felly. In other words, the bolt 25will reinforce the flange 19 and prevent 'the same fromespringingradially inward when the wedges are ap plied.

Means are provided for preventing the` bolt from turning; for preventingthe clamping of the flanges together; and for preventing the accidentalwithdrawal of the v,bolt whenv the nuts 26 are removed therefrom. Inorder to accomplish'v this, each shoulder.'` In the form of the Vdeviceshown in Figure 2 the retaining shoulder is 1n the form of an off-set inthe bolt which forms a Ashoulder 29 that is arranged verti cally, i. e.,the shoulder is arranged adjacent to the flange '19. The flange 19 has aportion 30 bent downwardly to engage the shoulder 29. In practice thisis accom- `plished by hitting the portion 30 of the aterally extendingflange 19 a hammer blow which bends a portion ofthe flange adjaf centto-said shoulder into engagement with the back side of said off-set orshoulder.

It will thus be seen that by this arrangemfntythe bolt is not 'onlyprevented from turning but is also prevented frein being withdrawn fromthe felly. In other words, the off-set portion of the bolt will engage nthe flange 19 and prevent the bolt from turning while the downwardlybent` portion of the flange 30 will prevent withdrawal of the bolt.Moveover, the oil-set portion will engage the inner side of the flange16 to prevent clamping the flanges together when the nut 26 is applied.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the device, the bolt is shown as being off-set ina plane parallel with the flange or Wedge Seat 1,9*e In this form of thedevice-the prtion19 of tlie flange 16 is formed by pressingthe portion19a downwardly without cuttlngor partibe noted that in both forms of thedevice the inturned flanges or seats for the wedges rest on the bolt25:'Wl1ich constitutes a support for reinforcing them. v

The arrangement shown in Figure 6 differs from that shown in Figures 2and 3 .in that the rim or wedge bolt 25 is provided with an anu ularportion or shoulder `31 adjacent to the ead which is ,adapted to lengage a corresponding angular aperture 27a 13 to;prevent the bolt fromin the inner flangle e nut 26a is being applied turning while t orremoved. The outer end of the bolt is provided with an upset shoulder 32which 1s adapted to engage the inner side.of the flange 16 to preventinwardmovement 'of' the same when the nut 26a is applied. The inner orfree end of the flange 19 is bent to engage the rear side of theshoulder 32 to prevent accidental removal of the bolt, as in the otherforms of the device.'

In the form of the device illustrated in Figure 7' the bolt is shown asbeing straight anda retaining shoulder'33 is provided by forming arecess or depression 34 inthe bolt 25" into which the portion .30'of thein-.

turned flange 19 maybe depressed for preventing the turning or removalof the bolt. In this form pf bolt no provision is made for engaging theinner side of the flange 16, for preventin the flanges 15 and 16L frombeing clampe toward each other when the nut is applied to the wedge boltbut the portion 30c will in most cases engage the innershoulder formedby the depression 33 and prevent the clamping of the two flanges 13 and16 toward one another. Howeveig this feature, while desirable in certainforms of channel, is not necessary in most fellies since the movement ofthe flanges 15 and 16 toward each other is so slight as to be almost ifnotA entirely negligible.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection'with theaccompanying drawings that the construction and o eration of our devicewill be'ap'parent to t osey skilled in the art, andvthat various changesin size, shape, proportion `and details of construction ma be madewithout departing from the spirlt and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a wheel, a channel felly having laterally Abent portions ononeflange of said channel, a rim engaging the other flange thereof, rimwedgel bolts extending through said flanges and engaging beneath saidportions for reinforcing the same and having means for engaging saidportions for pre- 5. In a wheel ,a channel'felly having its venting thewithdrawal of said bolts, and wedges engaging said bolts and havingmembers engaging between said portions and said rim.

2. -In a wheel, a channel felly having -`its f rflanges `extendingoutwardly and provided with apertures therethrough, one of said` flangeshaving portions bent inwardly therefrom to form Wedge seats, a rim wed ebolt extending through said apertures, said bolt provided with anolf-set portion for lengaging one of said ,wedge seats to prevent therotation of said bolt substantially as shown and described.

3. In a device of the class described,` a hollow elly, and a rim wedgebolt circular in cross-section and `rovided with an olfset adjacent thethre ed end thereof, which oisetforms a shoulder en aiging the innersurface of one side of the substantially as shownand described.`

4. In a wheel, a channel felly having laterally bent portions in oneflange of said channel,l rim wedge bolts extending through both flangesof said channel felly adjacent to said portions, and means on said boltsforen ing said portions to prevent withdrawa said bolts from said folly.

, with vwedge seats natures, v

flanges etxending radially outwardly and provided with aperturestherethrough, a wedge bolt extending through said apertures, said boltprov1ded with a distorted portion, one of said flanges being providedpartially severed from aid flange and having a portion engagingthefdistorted portion of said bolt to prevent the removal of said boltfrom said felly.

6. In a `wheel, a channel felly having its flanges etxendingoutwardlyand provided with apertures, '-'a wedge bolt extending through saidapertures and provided with a shoulder for engaging the outer flange,and a wedge seat on one of said flanges hav- `ing a distorted portion inengagement with ysaid shoulder to prevent the withdrawal of 'said'bolt.

7. In a wheel, a -channel felly having its rtures, a wedge boltextending through said apertures and provided with a d ression, on'c'ofsaid flanges having a portion v'engagiiigsaid depression substantiall'yas shown and described.

Inf testimony whereof we allixV our sig- LLOYD BLAoKMo'RE. vLOUIS M.SPENCER.

